Work machines, such as excavators and backhoes, are generally equipped with a digging and material handling bucket. In particular, the work machine typically includes a stick assembly which has the bucket attached thereto. The bucket is particularly useful for digging or otherwise excavating dirt or other types of material generally present at a work site.
However, during operation of the work machine, it is often desirable to exchange the bucket for a different work implement. In particular, many different types and sizes of buckets are available for attaching to the stick assembly of the work machine in order to facilitate performance of a given work operation. Hence, it may be necessary for a bucket of a first size to be removed from the stick assembly in order to be replaced by a bucket of a second size. In addition to digging buckets, many different types of work implements are also available for use by the work machine. For example, it may be desirable to couple a hydraulic hammer or a grapple to the work machine.
Disconnecting one work implement (e.g. a first digging bucket) and a attaching a different work implement (e.g. a second, larger digging bucket) is often a difficult and time consuming task. In particular, an operator of the work machine must leave the cab of the work machine, disconnect a number of pins, bolts, or other types of fasteners which are provided to mechanically couple the first bucket to the stick assembly. The operator must then mechanically couple the second bucket to the work machine by reconnecting the pins, bolts, and other fasteners associated with the second bucket to the stick assembly. It should be appreciated that during the period of time required to change or swap the buckets, the work machine is idle thereby disadvantageously decreasing the efficiency or productivity of the work machine.
In order to quickly mechanically couple and/or decouple work implements, a number of "quick coupling devices" have heretofore been designed. Such quick coupling devices typically include an apparatus which attempts to quickly and easily mechanically couple and/or decouple the work implement to and/or from the stick assembly. However, many of the quick coupling devices which have heretofore been designed are relatively mechanically complex, and have a relatively large number of components associated therewith thereby disadvantageously increasing costs associated with the work machine.
What is needed therefore is a quick coupling device which overcomes one or more of the aforementioned drawbacks. What is further needed is a quick coupling device which is less mechanically complex relative to quick coupling devices which have heretofore been designed.